


Real Magic

by dragonshost



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, Modern AU, genie au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-16 07:13:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13049118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonshost/pseuds/dragonshost
Summary: Cana's never believed in real magic, until she accidentally summons a genie.





	Real Magic

Before today, Cana had always thought that the whole “rub the genie’s lamp” thing was a euphemism.  That the line in tales was code for “they bartered sex for favors” or something to that effect.  Magic was always not what it seemed to be in the old storybooks and movies.  Real magic was the ability to make the world bend to your whim with nothing more than your charisma, a smile, and a jiggle of the appropriate body part.

It was magic that Cana herself had only about a sixty percent success rate with, if she were being honest.  Not everyone was susceptible to real magic, after all.  If a person was too thickheaded, nothing would ever get through to it.

The cards she dealt as a part of her living?  Chicanery and deceit, a little sleight of hand and a capable dry read.  Then she’d heap on her personal brand of magic, and weave her customers a spell they would be dazzled by.

Magic born of fae, born of djinn, and other magical beings that lurked in the darker parts of history, was relegated to a time in her life when she was more prone to believe in the same puff and nonsense she now peddled.  A time before reality had sunk its claws into her.

But then she’d bought an unassuming little lamp in a pawnshop.

Seriously, the thing was almost ugly.  It was dull, and marked with a great deal of smudges of uncertain origin.  But it was cheap, and Cana thought she could maybe spiff it up a bit with elbow grease and craft glitter, rendering it usable as a prop in her act.

Then she had scrubbed a little too hard at a dingy spot, the cloth she was using to buff it out slipping out – causing her to rub the spot with her bare hands instead.

Suddenly, blue and white smoke had come billowing out of the spigot, and she dropped the thing like a hot coal.  Which wasn’t too far from the truth, as the metal glowed with heat.

Then, standing in her room, was a man in long robes, his equally lengthy tresses pulled back from his face which bore wire rim frames.  A book was clasped in his hand, and he appeared extremely annoyed as he peered around her domicile, taking stock of what little Cana owned.

Cana would have assumed he was a lost customer, an oblivious, normal human, if not for his unearthly purple hued eyes.

“I take it you’re the new owner of the lamp,” the man stated calmly.  He brushed off his robes, which bore an ankh symbol.  “Get on with it, then.  I was at a good spot in my book and I would very much like to get back to it.”

She could only stare at him, absolutely dumbfounded.  This couldn’t be magic.  No way.  Djinn weren’t real!  Magic lamps weren’t real!  If they were, then she…

Shaking off the thought, she gazed back into the eyes of being before her.

“…Do I need to explain the rules?” the being asked her, looking put out.  “No bringing things back from the dead – I’m not a monkey paw.  If you want one of those, I’d recommend going back to whomever you acquired my lamp from, they’re sure to have something of that nature.”

Cana didn’t want to have anything to do with a monkey paw, and she was a smart enough cookie to know not to wish for the dead to return.  That never ended well.

“No true love spells as I am not a fan.”

She had to raise an eyebrow at that.  Wasn’t it supposed to be more along the lines of, ‘I can’t do that because it’s unethical’?

“And no wishing for unlimited wishes, that’s against the spirit of the thing,” he finally concluded.  “So you only get three.  What will they be?  I would appreciate it if we could make this snappy, too.”

Cana didn’t know much about his kind, but his attitude was something she was well familiar with.  Straight-laced, unable and unwilling to bend even a little bit for other people.  And it pissed her off.  She dealt with enough snooty customers in her regular day, she didn’t need magical beings joining the parade of douchbaggery that was her life.

An idea struck her then, and a slow smile spread across her face – one that drew out a long-suffering sigh from the man in front of her.

“I know that expression,” he muttered darkly.  “I’m going to be here a while, aren’t I.”

“Depends,” Cana replied smoothly.

He looked exasperated by that response.  “Depends on what?”

“Depends on how you feel about bending the rules of the mortal realm.”

Distress stole across his face.  “I am not going to enjoy this.”


End file.
